KARACHI: The Pakistan Customs has forwarded a written request to the Ministry of Defence, seeking its help to summon the focal person of the United States Consulate-Karachi to justify his role in case of pilferage and illegal removal of goods from 21 containers of the US Army/NATO/ISAF reverse cargo, it is learnt.
It may be mentioned that the Collectorate of Adjudication-II, Customs House Karachi had issued a show-cause notice to the focal person of the US Consulate at Karachi to counter the allegations leveled against him. However, the US Consulate sent a letter, informing that no official of the Consulate could be summoned as the Consulate General staff enjoys immunity under diplomatic cover, sources disclosed.
Interestingly, after the pressure from the Customs authorities the US authorities had also approached the Ministry of Defence to bring amendments in the Customs General Order-CGO 10 aimed at protecting the focal person’s involvement.
Former clerk at Pakistan Customs Computer Bureau named Iftikhar Haider was nominated by US Consulate as the focal person to supervise and look after the movement of cargo of US Army/NATO and ISAF. Interestingly, the claim of the US Consulate their staff had diplomatic immunity and could not be called by anyone however the fact is that the focal persons is a Pakistani national and he should be dealt as per the Pakistani law, sources told Customs Today.
According to the earlier details of the case, Ghani’s International on behalf of Embassy of United States of America filed a goods declaration through Web Based One Custom (WeBOC) system at Directorate of Transit Trade Peshawar (Torkham) for a consignment consisting of US Army reverse cargo declared to contain generators with transformers and equipment for transit to Karachi port for export to Dubai.
The invoice/packing list of the consignment clearly declared that the consignment consist of generators classifiable under PCT 8502.1300 whereas the description declared in GD was generator power with transformers PCT 8501.6490 to hoodwink the customs authorities.
As per report of the GD, the containers were inspected and seal verification was made at Torkham. The carrier of the container from Torkham to Karachi Port was Port Connection Private Limited, a Customs Bonded Carrier. The US Consulate General had authorized Multitrans Logistics, Ghani’s International the Customs Clearing Agency to take delivery, handling and clearance of the consignment.
There was credible information that goods have been pilfered en-route. Accordingly during perusal and observation of the scanning images and weighment slips of the GDs, it did not appear as per the description declared in the invoice packing list.
Discrepancy was also observed between the scanning images of containers taken at Torkham and Karachi port as well as the weighment done at Torkham and Karachi port.
Therefore, the consignment was examined physically in the presence of representatives of Multitrans International and Peerzada Services International being the authorized representatives of US Consulate General.
During examination shipper and customs seals were found intact. However, the generator sets declared in invoice and packing list were not found in the containers. There was ample evidence that generating sets were removed from the containers. This is an established case of pilferage of goods during transit. The containers and vehicles were seized by the Directorate General Transit Trade.
The bonded carrier and the authorized agents have not fulfilled their responsibilities to transit the cargo safe and sound condition. The authorities established that bonded carrier Port Connection and authorized agents Peerzada Services International, Ghani’s
International, Multitrans Logistics and Bilal Associates in active connivance with each other mis-declared and pilfered transit goods causing huge revenue loss to the exchequer amounting to Rs 97.188 million and violated various provisions and sections of relevant laws.
